This invention relates to an apparatus for causing material to advance from one stage to the next in a manufacturing process. More particularly the invention relates to an apparatus for causing particulate consumables such as potato chips, corn flakes and particulate non-consumables such as pieces of scrap metal to advance on a tray from one stage to the next in the manufacture of a product.
In the manufacture of particulate consumables, conveyors are required to move the product from one step in the process to the next. If the consumable is relatively strong such as rice, sugar, salt, it can usually be moved on conventional vibrating trays but if the product is fragile such as potato chips and corn flakes, such trays will cause the product to break into smaller pieces. The smaller the pieces, the less commercially acceptable is the finished product.
The driving apparatus of the present invention causes a shaking tray to reciprocate. There is provision for adjusting the way in which the tray reciprocates so that the tray can made to reciprocate jerkily or smoothly. Thus breakable consumables such as those mentioned above can be caused to advance smoothly on the tray from one stage to the next in their manufacture and from the final step to the bagging or packaging operation. Minimal breakage of the product occurs while it is being moved on the tray.
The apparatus of the invention can be broadly described as a driving apparatus for a shaking tray on which particulate material advances. One embodiment of the driving apparatus comprises a cam rotated by a drive shaft and a follower having a slot formed therein for receipt of the cam. As the cam rotates, it rolls backwards and forwards in the slot and imparts rotation to the follower. A connecting rod has an axis of rotation parallel to, but offset from, the axis of rotation of the drive shaft. A crank is affixed to the connecting rod and is operatively connected to the shaking tray for imparting reciprocating motion to the tray.
A second embodiment of the driving apparatus comprises a link which is rotated by a drive shaft and which is rotatable about an axis offset from the axis of rotation of the drive shaft. A follower is rotatably mounted to the link and is caused to rotate by the link as the link is rotated by the drive shaft. A connecting rod is affixed to the follower and is rotated thereby. The connecting rod has an axis of rotation parallel to, but offset from, the axis of rotation of the drive shaft. A crank is affixed to the connecting rod and is operatively connected to the shaking tray for imparting reciprocating motion to the tray.